# Insights into the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of ionic liquids and their mechanisms of action

## TL;DR

This paper reviews ionic liquids as promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics and antifungals, focusing on their antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties and mechanisms.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of ionic liquids' antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential and their mechanisms of action.

## Key findings

- Ionic liquids show broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi.
- They can disrupt biofilm formation, which is a major cause of antimicrobial resistance.
- Different ionic liquids have varied mechanisms of action, including membrane disruption and interference with cellular processes.

## Abstract

The need for novel antibacterial and antifungal treatments originates from the growing incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms, which is a serious public health concern. Conventional antibacterial and antifungal drugs are restricted by their narrow activity spectrum and lack of appropriate targets. The rise of antifungal drug resistance has made numerous commonly used drug classes ineffective, greatly complicating the clinical treatment of fungal infections. Additionally, bacteria and fungi that form biofilms are considered a major public health issue because they evade host defenses and contribute to antimicrobial resistance. To overcome these challenges, novel alternatives such as ionic liquids (ILs) have been developed. These compounds exhibit antifungal and antibacterial properties and can additionally function as antibiofilm agents. This review explores the nature of these materials, their methods of preparation, their uses, and their advantages. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activities of various ILs toward Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative one, and fungal species (spp) are discussed. Additionally, different mechanisms of action of these materials, along with their antibiofilm activity, will be discussed in this review.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-026-13728-x.